Tigers drill Rays 13-4

Justin Upton drove in three runs for the Tigers, while Ian Kinsler and Alex Avila homered.

Daniel Norris (4-4) got the win, giving up three runs on eight hits and a walk in six-plus innings. He matched a season high with eight strikeouts.

Erasmo Ramirez (3-2) matched a career worst by allowing 10 runs on nine hits and two walks in 4 2/3 innings.

Kinsler hit the 43rd lead-off homer off his career in the first. That broke a tie with Curtis Granderson for sixth on the career list and moved him one behind Brady Anderson.

Tampa Bay tied the game in the third. Peter Bourjos tripled with one out and Steven Souza Jr. followed with a grounder to third. Castellanos threw wildly to the plate, allowing Souza to take second,

The Rays took a 2-1 lead in the fourth. Logan Morrison walked, took second on Mallex Smith’s infield single and scored on Daniel Robertson’s base hit. With runners at the corners, Smith took off for the plate when Norris tried to pick off Robertson and was thrown out by Avila’s throw home. Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash challenged the play, but the call was confirmed.

The Tigers took over the game at that point, scoring five runs in each of the next two innings to take an 11-2 lead.

Avila led off the bottom of the fourth with his 10th homer. After a walk to Miguel Cabrera, J.D. Martinez singled and Upton lined an RBI double over the head of Smith in centerfield. Castellanos doubled down the left-field line to give the Tigers a three-run lead.

Alex Presley’s infield single gave the Tigers six straight baserunners to start the inning, but James McCann ended the streak with a sacrifice fly to make it 6-2.

Jose Iglesias received a standing ovation after two spectacular defensive plays in the fifth. He charged a slow roller and threw out Bourjos, then sprinted straight back into left-centerfield to make an over-the-shoulder catch on Souza’s pop up. The cheers continued when Upton reached over the left-field fence to rob the next hitter, Corey Dickerson, of a home run.

The Tigers kept hitting in the fifth, with Upton’s two-run single putting them up 8-2. Tim Beckham’s throwing error later in the inning allowed two more runs to score.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Tigers: DH Victor Martinez was placed on the 10-day disabled list with an irregular heartbeat. The problem caused him to leave Thursday’s game in the seventh inning, and he was still hospitalized for tests on Friday afternoon. The team is expecting to have further updates.